NAB inquiry matures into investigation against Imran, others

ISLAMABAD: The NAB has converted its inquiry into an investigation against Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi and others for the alleged gain of hundreds of canals of land in the name of Al Qadir University Trust from a real estate developer in return for the PTI government’s favour to the latter involving around Rs50 billion.

The NAB, which was earlier holding an inquiry into alleged misuse of authority, financial gains and criminal breach of trust in the recovery of crime proceeds received from the UK and illegal sealing of its record against Imran Khan and others, has found adequate material to convert the inquiry into an investigation.

In corruption cases, the NAB generally follows three steps before filing a reference. The first step is complaint verification. If the complaint is verified, the inquiry is ordered as the second step. At this stage, if satisfactory evidence is found available to proceed further, the inquiry is converted into an investigation. Otherwise, the inquiry is closed.

At the investigation stage, the accused are directly probed and if required can even be arrested for questioning to finally conclude whether the case is worth pursuing in the court of law or not.

NAB sources said that recently the inquiry against Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi, Barrister Shahzad Akbar and real estate developer has been converted into an investigation.

In June last year, the present government had alleged former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi of obtaining land worth billions of rupees for their trust from a real estate developer for legalising a laundered amount of Rs50 billion that was identified and returned to the country by the UK during the PTI government tenure.

It was alleged that Imran Khan had got approval for the settlement of the money -- returned from the UK -- in favour of the real estate developer in a cabinet meeting on Dec 3, 2019 without allowing its members to read it, even though some of them had sought a clarification.

Following the present government’s allegation, Kingsley Napley, the law firm that represents the family of real estate developer had issued a press release stating that the family considered it a matter of considerable regret that the government of Pakistan breached its own undertaking which it gave to both the National Crime Agency (NCA) of the United Kingdom and the counter parties over a confidential agreement reached in 2019.

The statement said that the confidential agreement reached with the NCA arose from civil proceedings and any suggestion that the confidential agreement was in any way improper was without foundation, otherwise, the NCA would not have agreed to it. The statement added the real estate firm wishes to confirm “it will continue to uphold the highest ethical standards and to provide an outstanding service to its clients. It would be inappropriate to say anything further on the matter given the confidential nature of the agreement.”

Later, the NAB initiated the inquiry and summoned almost all the cabinet members of the Imran Khan government who had attended the Dec 3, 2019 meeting. Some of the PTI leaders appeared before the NAB but most ignored the NAB notices.

Former PM Imran Khan had registered Trust for Al-Qadir University Project on Dec 26, 2019 within a few weeks of his cabinet decision on real estate firm which later became the donor for the university.

Three weeks before the registration of the trust on Dec 3, 2019, the Imran Khan cabinet took up the matter concerning Accounts Freezing Orders (AFOs) and Repatriation of Funds to Pakistan by the National Crime Agency (NCA) in the real estate tycoon and family case.

Later, within a few months of the registration of the Trust deed in Islamabad Sub-registrar office, the real estate firm purchased land around 460 Kanals in Jhelum and transferred the land in the name of Zulfi Bukhari. For the purpose of stamp duty, the value of the land was fixed at Rs243 million.

After the creation of the trust, Zulfi Bukhari had transferred this land in the name of the trust. In March 2021, this donation of land along with other donations like infrastructure and other provisions were acknowledged through an agreement signed between Bushra Bibi and the real estate firm at Imran Khan’s residence while Khan was the Prime Minister of Pakistan.